We are so accustomed to giving gifts to one another during the holidays that it seems automatic or obligatory. I'd like to see each of us look at gift giving in a different context this year. The gifts of Christmas should be the togetherness and love of family and friends, good food and music. My family - 2 sons and their wives and my son's father and his wife - decided to stop the Christmas gifts several years ago. We always ended up giving gift certificates to each other because none of us needed anything special at that particular time of year. We have always given to each other all year long when important or meaningful items would appear.
The gift giving has so much more meaning when it's directed to those who have very little or nothing: the gift of a new coat or shoes to a foster child, food to the food banks, money to the local mission for meals for the homeless and volunteering your preciouis time to help those in need.
As the years have passed, both daughters-in-law and their families have stopped the gift giving. And, as we all tell our friends and they tell their friends the movement to stop the meaningless gift giving has started. We still give to the children, but once they graduate from college, they know the stress of gift giving ends. If we teach our children at a very young age how truly special the gift of time and giving of our ourselves can be, we will find that "Peace and Goodwill to All" is not just a Christmas story. You might be surprised how many giving ideas your children can think of, a really special Christmas tradition could begin this year.
Susan Thomas
Cypriana
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